The Repair Shop

T04:C04 - S04:E04 - Bike, Threadbare Teddy on Wheels, Victorian Firefighter's Helmet

Today in the Repair Shop, Jay Blades and the team bring three treasured family heirlooms, and the memories they hold, back to life. Vintage bike restorer Tim Gunn brings all his skill to bear on a wartime bicycle once owned and used by a Bletchley Park code breaker. Huw Banister's mum Rachel rode to and from work every day on this trusty machine, as she strove to crack enemy communications during World War Two. But the subsequent years have not been kind to Rachel's bike, which has stood gathering dust for decades. Now in her nineties, Huw would love Rachel to see her beloved bicycle made roadworthy, and to see it ridden once again.Soft toy restorers Amanda and Julie take on a bear on wheels, much loved by his owner Janet, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a child. Janet used her sturdy friend to learn to walk, and fondly dubbed him 'Wheelie Ted'. But poor old Wheelie Ted is now a shadow of his former self. Worst of all, to save this dilapidated toy from further deterioration, he was sewn into a new cover sixty years ago and has been kept under wraps ever since. Once the cover is removed, Amanda and Julie discover that he's missing his face… and with no eyes, ears or a nose, it's a challenge to give this little bear his smile back.And it's a family affair as horologist Steve Fletcher recruits fellow expert and sister Suzie to work on a neglected and battered old Victorian firefighter's helmet.